Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Visited this architectural oddity today.

Anyone know what it is, & where?

Click to see full-size image.

I believe that kind of structure is called a rotunda but I have no idea what it's purpose is.

Just checked the definition of "rotunda", & yes, it seems to fit that.

However, it has a specific purpose, & is round for a practical reason I believe.

It's free to enter, and around 1,000 people use it every day. It has an identical twin, too.

It's all fearfully boring really unless you are a geek, but I only discovered it's existence & function a few days ago, despite the fact that it has performed it's function for over 100 years, & so was keen to go have a proper look.

[Rod Paradise]

Visited this architectural oddity today.

Anyone know what it is, & where?

Click to see full-size image.

I believe that kind of structure is called a rotunda but I have no idea what it's purpose is.

Just checked the definition of "rotunda", & yes, it seems to fit that.

However, it has a specific purpose, & is round for a practical reason I believe.

It's free to enter, and around 1,000 people use it every day. It has an identical twin, too.

It's all fearfully boring really unless you are a geek, but I only discovered it's existence & function a few days ago, despite the fact that it has performed it's function for over 100 years, & so was keen to go have a proper look.

There are a couple of similar buildings in Glasgow, which were the ends of the Glasgow Harbour Tunnel, with lifts for taking people, horses and carts & eventually people up and down from the tunnel. The tunnel is closed now, one of the Rotunda is offices I think & the other a restaurant, there used to be a casino in it as well I think.

I've been in the old Elbtunnel in Hamburg, which was similar, but is still in use, pedestrians only at weekends (AFAICR), the tunnel is elegantly tiled with tiles showing the river creatures along it.

You'd love the Hamburg Harbour Tony, it's HUGE, and the boat tours take you about the different areas, it's amazing to be up against the hull of one of the huge container vessels and look up at the gigantic cliff face of boat & containers above you. The tour boats are locally called he lüchts - low German for he's lying which the dock workers would shout when they heard the tour guide's spiel.

[tikay]

Visited this architectural oddity today.

Anyone know what it is, & where?

Click to see full-size image.

I believe that kind of structure is called a rotunda but I have no idea what it's purpose is.

Just checked the definition of "rotunda", & yes, it seems to fit that.

However, it has a specific purpose, & is round for a practical reason I believe.

It's free to enter, and around 1,000 people use it every day. It has an identical twin, too.

It's all fearfully boring really unless you are a geek, but I only discovered it's existence & function a few days ago, despite the fact that it has performed it's function for over 100 years, & so was keen to go have a proper look.

There are a couple of similar buildings in Glasgow, which were the ends of the Glasgow Harbour Tunnel, with lifts for taking people, horses and carts & eventually people up and down from the tunnel. The tunnel is closed now, one of the Rotunda is offices I think & the other a restaurant, there used to be a casino in it as well I think.

I've been in the old Elbtunnel in Hamburg, which was similar, but is still in use, pedestrians only at weekends (AFAICR), the tunnel is elegantly tiled with tiles showing the river creatures along it.

You'd love the Hamburg Harbour Tony, it's HUGE, and the boat tours take you about the different areas, it's amazing to be up against the hull of one of the huge container vessels and look up at the gigantic cliff face of boat & containers above you. The tour boats are locally called he lüchts - low German for he's lying which the dock workers would shout when they heard the tour guide's spiel.

Dead right I would, so would Gill.

We are trying to get a "close-up" tour at London Gateway, Thurrock (which was, sadly, in the news yesterday for terrible reasons) or Southampton Docks, but we are having no joy. We did it at Portsmouth Harbour & saw HMS Queen Elizabeth (our new aircraft carrier) at very close quarters, but we'd really like to see some of those monsta container ships. 

[tikay]

Visited this architectural oddity today.

Anyone know what it is, & where?

Click to see full-size image.

I believe that kind of structure is called a rotunda but I have no idea what it's purpose is.

Just checked the definition of "rotunda", & yes, it seems to fit that.

However, it has a specific purpose, & is round for a practical reason I believe.

It's free to enter, and around 1,000 people use it every day. It has an identical twin, too.

It's all fearfully boring really unless you are a geek, but I only discovered it's existence & function a few days ago, despite the fact that it has performed it's function for over 100 years, & so was keen to go have a proper look.

There are a couple of similar buildings in Glasgow, which were the ends of the Glasgow Harbour Tunnel, with lifts for taking people, horses and carts & eventually people up and down from the tunnel. The tunnel is closed now, one of the Rotunda is offices I think & the other a restaurant, there used to be a casino in it as well I think.

I've been in the old Elbtunnel in Hamburg, which was similar, but is still in use, pedestrians only at weekends (AFAICR), the tunnel is elegantly tiled with tiles showing the river creatures along it.

You'd love the Hamburg Harbour Tony, it's HUGE, and the boat tours take you about the different areas, it's amazing to be up against the hull of one of the huge container vessels and look up at the gigantic cliff face of boat & containers above you. The tour boats are locally called he lüchts - low German for he's lying which the dock workers would shout when they heard the tour guide's spiel.

Splendido.

You have absolutely nailed it Rod, though we were in London, not Glasgow or Hamburg. By the sound of your description (horses & carts etc) this one is somewhat smaller though.


PS - Will you be at the game tonight? Them Lazio Ultras strike me as nasty buggers, so do be careful.

[Rod Paradise]

I'll be there tonight, and don't worry about Lazio - fascist groups don't do well if they act up at Paradise - and they'll be outnumbered about 300 to one

If you can go over to Hamburg, there's a lot to see, I tend to be in the seedier Reeperbahn area (which is well worth a look), as the team I support are based there, but there's a lot more to it:

• Port of Hamburg (and the old Banana boat the Cap San Diego - I was at a wedding on it a few years ago)
• Miniatur Wonderland (give yourself a few hours for this and book ahead)
• Rathaus
• Maritime Museum
• Arts & Crafts Musem
• St Michael's Church

The train/subway system is really good as well.

If you  go give me a shout & I'll give you more
5 minutes on Miniatur Wonderland


Longer video on MW

[mulhuzz]

on the subject of rotundas, perhaps you might enjoy this one:

Click to see full-size image.

That's the 'Romanesque Rotunda of St George' (Rotunda svatého Jiří) which is one of the oldest buildings in the Czech Republic, being at least as old as 1126 when the first mention of it is found.

It's situated at the top of Říp Mountain, which is a pseudo-mythical site in the Czech Republic, said to be where the first Czechs settled. At the confluence of three rivers and rising 459m out of the Bohemian flatland, legend tells that 'Forefather Čech' (the mythical figure who founded the Czech nation..) and his people climbed Říp Mountain, he looked upon the landscape and told his brothers that they have reached the promised land: "We have a country at our will, here will be our tables always full, enough of wild animals, birds, fishes, bees and hardness against enemies." (source)

The mountain is the remnant of an old volcano and it's said that each Czech should make pilgrimage to Říp at least once. The parallels with Mecca don't end there either, at a little tourist hut adjacent the rotunda from the early 20th century there is a little dedication with a Czech prover:. "Co Mohamedu Mekka, to Čechu Říp' -- what Mecca is to a Mohammendan, Říp is to a Czech. Mohammedan is apparently an 'oldy worldy' word for Muslim, since fallen out of favour as a misnomer, it seems.

And here's Říp as seen from the South:

Click to see full-size image.

[hhyftrftdr]

So when you call me rotund, you're actually just saying I'm built like a building?

Sweet.

[mulhuzz]

So when you call me rotund, you're actually just saying I'm built like a building?

Sweet.

You might be rotund but I’m rotunda.😂

[Rod Paradise]

on the subject of rotundas, perhaps you might enjoy this one:

Click to see full-size image.

That's the 'Romanesque Rotunda of St George' (Rotunda svatého Jiří) which is one of the oldest buildings in the Czech Republic, being at least as old as 1126 when the first mention of it is found.

Cheers for that I love the Czech Republic, makes me want to go explore more.

[Karabiner]

Those rotunda appear to be wearing wooly hats and the middle one reminds me of someone..

[hhyftrftdr]

Those rotunda appear to be wearing wooly hats and the middle one reminds me of someone..

Phil Jones?

[Chompy]

https://tote.co.uk/ten-to-follow

[booder]

https://www.farandwide.com/s/amazing-world-maps-74d6186e6d0e414b?utm_campaign=amazingworldmaps-f86a9f2fc8ce4603&utm_source=twi&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=666924

[Doobs]

Wow, your buddy Daniel didn't win POY after all, and Sean Deeb was much closer than he thought.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/2019-wsop-poy-error-not-dnegs-robert-campbell-wins-1756204/

So well done Robert Campbell, POY.

[nirvana]

https://www.farandwide.com/s/amazing-world-maps-74d6186e6d0e414b?utm_campaign=amazingworldmaps-f86a9f2fc8ce4603&utm_source=twi&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=666924

Some fascinating stuff there, gonna have to come back to it again though, there's a lot